Men age just as much as women do. They are just "allowed" to have some gray, some crows' feet and a little extra weight and be considered sexy. Women are supposed to maintain a slim teenage figure and dewy soft flawless skin. Look at all the makeup ads, they are airbrushed beyond belief.

as someone's who's overweight due to an autoimmune disease, i totally understand how you feel. actually, Stormyweather's response kind of proves your point. if someone's super skinny, people have empathy and/or think of alternative reasons why the person may look the way they do (cancer, etc). fat people don't get that kind of grace. if you're fat people's first reaction is that it's because you're a glutton with no self control around food who's destined for a life of diabetes and sadness. not that it could be due to medication or an eating disorder or a hormonal imbalance or emotional issues. nope. you're just a fat POS.

It's possible that she didn't have anorexia, but my pretty extensive exposure to eating disorders makes me think she probably did. There were other signs too. And, yes, it's horrible that I think anorexia would be better than where I am now. I have been bulimic and had binge eating disorder since I can remember. I've been through literally decades of therapy, medications, even hypnosis. I've had glimpses of being better but never for long. But people don't think what I have is a real disorder. They think I just don't have the willpower to not eat. I've been average weight, obese, and overweight. But never skinny. And to this day, that's all I want. People see someone with anorexia and want to help them. People see someone who is overweight and think they are pathetic. I'd rather be skinny and sick than fat and sick like I am and have been most of my life.

That is probably because you are in your mid 30s. 50 is when is goes the other way. Menopause doesn't care how much you exercise and eat right, your body goes through a lot of physical changes, and they aren't pretty. Skin sags, weight shows up in weird places, everything gets dry and loses color. While men, as long as they do a small amount of exercise, tend not to change much. Unless they go bald, but even that has a certain following. I personally say screw worrying about how you look, and focus on your heart and mind aging well.

I've done yoga for years, but sometimes I get bored. On a whim, I bought a balance board thing from Walmart and it's awesome! You balance on it and twist your hips, while using hand weights. I use it everyday. I put on an episode of The Office and twist until it's over. I've already lost five pounds. Worth the $20.

Who actually gets to eat 2,000 calories a day? If I ate 2,000 calories a day, I'd weight 400 pounds. I have to stick to about 1,200 - 1,300 calories a day just to maintain my weight, and less if I'm trying to lose. I want to know where this 2,000 calorie a day diet bullshit came from.

I have been caught in that same weight loss cycle. I have learned to reward my weight loss victories without food. A new outfit, purse, pair of running shoes, nail polish, make-up, etc. I always remember the saying: you're not a dog, don't reward yourself with food!

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few weeks ago, put on 3 meds. I have PCOS, which means insulin resistance, and since I hadn't been given metformin by doctors to help with it my whole life...I ended up with type 2. That and I drink about 4-5 cans of a soda a day, but Doc said if it wasn't for the inulin resistance I most likely wouldn't have diabetes yet . I immediately changed my eating habits and down to 1 or 2 cans a day. I have to slowly ween myself off or I get massive caffeine withdrawal migraines that last days. I ate 2K calories a day...I didn't gain weight from it. Since I went to the doctor I've stayed at 1300-1500 calories, severely reduced carb intake, drink more water... and I've GAINED 4lbs. I weigh myself in the morning after I go to the bathroom. Next doc appt in 2wks.

Another 2 weeks, another 2 pounds down. My pants are back to fitting comfortably, which is a great motivation! I do eat mostly clean year round (when I eat processed food, it is almost always bread), and that keeps me from being 300+ pounds like the rest of my family. But, I naturally gain about 2-3 pounds a year. So every 5 years or so I restrict my calories to get my weight back down to optimal. My doctor said that even 10 pounds can highly elevate the possibility of diabetes, and I have been prediabetic before, so I am really careful to stay under a certain weight.

I feel betrayed by my body. I took care of it by exercising, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, keeping my weight under control, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. A couple years ago I was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder that makes me fat and constantly feel lethargic. It's genetic so there's no cure. I'm so depressed. Every day is a struggle. Now I wish I would've had fun and abused my body with junk food, drugs, and alcohol if this is how I was gonna end up anyway.